1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable steering column assembly for operating a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Adjustable steering column assemblies which allow an operator to adjust the position of the steering wheel are well known in the art. The most common adjustments make use of a telescoping steering column which permits longitudinal movement along the axis of the steering column, and a tilting steering column, which permits up and down movement of the steering column. The up and down movement of the tilting steering column is also sometimes referred to as a vertical movement or a raking movement.
Instrument panels provide operators with vehicle operating status information in the form of dials and gauges. Where instrument panels are attached to the vehicle body, the orientation and position of the instrument panel is fixed. This can cause the instrument panel to be obscured when an operator adjusts a steering column. An alternative is to mount the instrument panel to the steering column itself, so that when the steering column is adjusted, the instrument panel is adjusted with the steering column. An example of such an assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,444 to McKee, et. al.
The adjustable steering column assembly of the McKee '444 Patent, permits the steering column to telescope and tilt, as previously discussed. The instrument panel is rigidly attached to the steering column. Though this construction allows coordinated movement of the instrument panel with the steering column, the added weight of the instrument panel adversely affects the strength and the Noise, Harshness and Vibration (“NHV”) of the steering column. The additional weight can also cause difficulty in adjusting the steering column, particularly when tilting the column upward.
There remains a need for an adjustable steering column assembly in which the instrument panel moves with the steering column during telescoping and tilting movement, without adding weight to the steering column. In addition, the location of the instrument panel should address issues of NHV.